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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25493998">a fire in a flask to keep us warm</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rukebox/pseuds/rukebox'>rukebox</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>you're the universe im helpless in [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Flower Shop &amp; Tattoo Parlor, Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Background Relationships, Cute Han Jisung | Han, Flowers, Fluff, Han Jisung | Han is a Sweetheart, Lee Minho | Lee Know &amp; Seo Changbin are Best Friends, Lowercase, M/M, Mentioned Kim Seungmin, Mentioned Yang Jeongin | I.N, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Seo Changbin is Whipped, Soft Seo Changbin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:34:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,290</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25493998</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rukebox/pseuds/rukebox</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"you went to sunshine's?" felix asks, eyes going wide, "on a tuesday?!" </i>
</p><p>
  <i>changbin huffs, setting the flowers on the counter next to felix, "yes. so what." </i>
</p><p>
  <i>"is a miracle" </i>
</p><p>
  <i>"shut up, asshole" <i></i></i>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Han Jisung | Han/Seo Changbin, Lee Felix/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Lee Minho | Lee Know &amp; Seo Changbin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>you're the universe im helpless in [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1846822</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>138</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>a fire in a flask to keep us warm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>
  <span class="small"> title from 'hurricane" by p!atd </span>
</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"hey bin? can you do me a favour?" minho's voice cuts through the background music playing inside the shop, making changbin look up at him from where he's mindlessly scrolling through his phone.</p><p>"yeah, what," he hums</p><p>"since you're doing absolutely nothing, go buy me some gardenias, i need them for a stencil." </p><p>changbin groans, dropping his phone on the counter and turning to look at his hyung, "where would i even get them" </p><p>minho doesn't look up from his sketchbook, only raising his eyebrows at changbin's question.</p><p>"i don't know maybe the literal flower shop across the street?" sarcasm drips from his words, and changbin glares half heartedly at him, even if he knows minho isn't looking at him. he's sure his hyung gets the message. </p><p>"i don't wanna go there" he is <em> not </em> whining, he swears.</p><p>"oh my god, stop whining and just go." </p><p> </p><p>he stays silent, waiting until minho finally looks up at him, a bored expression on his face as he regards changbin's pout and furrowed brows. </p><p>"but hyung…"</p><p>changbin would have no problem going any other day, but as it is, today he <em> can't </em>, there's no way he's stepping foot into that shop on a tuesday. no matter what minho or felix say, it's not dramatics, it's simply—</p><p>"are you being like this because jisung is working today?" minho asks, blinking in that way he does when he's processing something.</p><p>and since when is minho on first-name-no-honorifics base with the florist.</p><p>"since when did you start being so informal with him" </p><p>minho snorts, turning back to his sketchbook and shaking his head. "since he dropped his iced coffee on me last week. now stop being a coward and go do your job" </p><p>so that explains why his hyung was sulky last week when he got to the shop, muttering something about his favorite shirt being ruined and clumsy brats not looking where they go. </p><p>"i'm not a coward," he's totally a coward, but he won't admit that in front of minho, not a in million years. he doesn't need to give him more bullying material. not that it stops minho from finding it himself, but sometimes changbin likes to think he has control over his dignity. "and technically running errands for you is not my job" </p><p>"and technically," minho says, in a high pitched voice, mocking changbin —he does <em> not </em> sound like that— before dropping his tone back to normal "i could fire you,"</p><p>"you wouldn't" is not the first time minho has threatened him with that, changbin knows he's joking...well, partially joking, a part of him does believe minho would fire him if he gets too mad at him. (but then he'd probably hire him again a week later because he'd feel too guilty about leaving changbin jobless or something like that) </p><p>minho rolls his eyes, clearly done with the conversation, "if you don't go buy me those flowers ill tell felix to not let you into the café for a month," </p><p>now <em> that </em> is a lot more plausible than being fired. felix would definitely prohibit him the entry to his dog café if minho asks him, -but then again felix would do anything if minho asks him—no matter how much the kid adores changbin he also revels in making him suffer just like the rest of their friends. they are all evil, changbin confirms not for the hundredth time. </p><p>"fine. i'll go." he sighs, reluctantly getting up from his stool at the counter and pocketing his phone. </p><p>"i just need three white gardenias," changbin nods, memorizing the name of the flowers "and for you to ask jisung for his number," </p><p>changbin sputters, ears turning red and his cheeks burning. "what— i don't even—" </p><p>"what? you don't even what? cry about how cute he looks when he's singing to the plants? or when his eyes sparkle as he fixes a new bouquet?" minho says, clearly amused by changbin's distress and embarrassment. </p><p>is not his fault the damn florist looks like he comes straight out of a fairy tale or a disney movie, with his angelic voice and pretty smile and delicate hands as he fixes the flowers—</p><p>point made. changbin thinks the guy is cute. a little too cute. adorable truly, makes changbin want to hold him in his arms and never let go. </p><p>"just ask for his number, bin" </p><p>he would— if he could even say hi to the guy. they've been shop-neighbours for about a year and a half and changbin still gets tongue tied whenever jisung even looks at him. and also—</p><p>"he has a boyfriend, though" changbin says, recalling the tall, pretty guy that he saw jisung with a few weeks ago, the two of them outside the flower-shop, holding each other close and whispering something between them. jisung looked content. </p><p>"huh? you mean hyunjin?"</p><p>changbin shrugs, he really didn't ask the guy's name, just bolted the other way the moment he saw them. </p><p>"if you mean the tall one with the long hair, he's just his friend and he already left for LA again, no need to worry." </p><p>sometimes changbin is amazed by the amount of information minho has on the people around them, considering he never talks to anyone other than changbin, felix and occasionally the barista at the coffee shop down the street named seungmin that always writes minho's name wrong on purpose. </p><p>changbin sighs, weighing his options; he could leave right now and end the conversation, but he knows that minho would start it again the moment he sees an opening, or, he could say he will get the florist's number, a lie, because he'll probably just stutter his way through the order and leave as quickly as he can, and then have both minho and felix making fun of him for being a "coward" and "a panicked gay". he wouldn't even be able to deny their claims. </p><p>"whatever. im going now," </p><p>minho hums, already engrossed in his art again, "don't forget. three white gardenias" </p><p>"yeah, yeah" </p><p> </p><p>changbin isn't a shy person, not when it comes to striking up casual conversations or trying to start a friendship. albeit he's better at it with people older than him than peers around his age, but that's because he grew up being closer to his teachers than his classmates. ("so you were a suck up," jeongin would say, followed by felix calling him an old man.)  </p><p>he's also pretty confident, even if minho makes fun of his direct flirting and 'horrible subtlety', it has never failed changbin. now, the florist though, he's a whole different case, and changbin has no idea <em> why </em>.</p><p>maybe is his smile, the way he beams when he's the happiest, it makes changbin feel something in his chest that he's never felt before. or maybe is his voice, all soft and warm, fucking <em> melodic </em> , if you ask changbin. is a new feeling, something he's never felt before for someone, and he <em> barely </em> knows jisung. </p><p> </p><p>("maybe you're scared," minho had whispered to him during one of their movie nights, draped all over changbin, his voice low with exhaustion. </p><p>"what do you mean?" changbin asked, playing with minho's hair</p><p>"you've never felt like this before, you don't know what to do with all— this, everything, all the emotions," he snuggles closer to changbin's chest "i was like that when i met lix, it was all so new i didn't know how to act around him or what to do with myself. was scared of getting it all wrong…" he yawns, his words trailing off as he's lulled to sleep by the sounds of the movie playing on the background and changbin's hands in his hair. </p><p>"huh…") </p><p> </p><p>changbin remembers all the changes minho went through when he realized his feelings for their friend, absolutely terrified at the idea of commitment but wanting to be with felix all at the same time. it was a rollercoaster of events and emotions, to say the least. </p><p>he's not sure that's exactly what has changbin so scared of his feelings, he likes to think he doesn't have that many issues when it comes to relationships, even if he's never truly had a serious one, flings here and there and one or two partners that stayed around for more than a month. </p><p>put like that, maybe changbin is more emotionally constipated than he thought he was. and here he was priding himself on having a better grasp of his life than his parents said he would when he left home. </p><p> </p><p>he sighs as he finally approaches the door of the flower-shop, the smell of the various plants hitting him the moment he opens it and he suppresses the urge to sneeze.</p><p>"welcome!— Oh, changbin-ssi," jisung greets him, looking up from the bouquet of roses he seems to be preparing, smiling brightly at changbin.</p><p>"hey," he nods, stepping closer to the counter, ignoring the way his heart feels like is going to burst out of his chest the more he looks at the boy in front of him "minho-hyung sent me to buy some uh—" </p><p>he momentarily forgets what he's about to say when jisung cocks his head to the side, the light coming from the clear glass on the ceiling landing on jisung's face in a way that makes changbin's breath get caught in his lungs. he looks ethereal. </p><p>fuck he's a goner.</p><p>"g—gardenias. three white gardenias," he stutters out, mentally kicking himself. </p><p>jisung just nods his head, smile still on his face as rounds the counter and walks toward a wall with a row of white flowers, delicately grabbing the amount that changbin asked for. </p><p>"are these okay?" he asks, showing them to changbin from where he's standing. </p><p>"uh- yeah, those are fine," </p><p>changbin thinks jisung looks at home with all the flowers surrounding him, as pretty as one, maybe prettier than them. </p><p>"is it for a tattoo? or for felix-ssi?" jisung casually asks as he wraps a blue ribbon around the stem of the flowers</p><p>"a tattoo. he likes to have live references when making his stencils," changbin chuckles </p><p>jisung hums, and changbin watches as he gently puts the flowers inside white paper, "he's very dedicated isn't he," </p><p>"yeah, that's why he's the best at what he does" </p><p>"maybe i should ask him to do my first tattoo, huh," jisung jokes, but then he looks at changbin, "or maybe i should ask you?" there's a glint of something in his eyes that changbin can't quite place, but it's gone before he can say anything and jisung is turning around to fumble through a drawer behind him.</p><p>changbin looks around the shop for a second, admiring all the different colors of the flowers and the arrangement of the few decorations on the walls. is a nice place, very peaceful, he understands why jeongin had been pestering him about finding out if they were hiring new people.  </p><p>"here," jisung's voice cuts through changbin's thoughts, and he directs his attention back to the florist, "all done." </p><p>changbin grabs the small bouquet from jisung's hands, willing his mind to not freak out when his fingers brush jisung's. he's not a goddamn school girl for fuck's sake.</p><p>"how much is it?" he's about to take out his wallet when jisung waves his hand in a dismissive manner, shaking his head slightly</p><p>"it's on the house. i owe it to minho-hyung for the coffee accident the other week,"</p><p>"are you sure?" </p><p>jisung giggles—<em> giggles </em>, and changbin didn't know someone could sound so damn cute. smiling brightly at him, his eyes shining honey brown with the way the sun is hitting him, looking like an angel, or a fairy, or just—the sun itself. </p><p>he's gonna be the death of changbin one of these days. </p><p>"well—thank you, jisung-ssi," </p><p>"no problem" </p><p>he stands there for another second before turning around and walking out of the shop, heart beating way too fast to be normal and cheeks burning. </p><p>this is probably the second longest conversation he's had with the florist ever since they met. </p><p> </p><p>when he gets back to the shop minho is still sketching, barely lifting his head when he hears changbin come in. but now felix is there too, sitting on the stool changbin was less than twenty minutes ago.</p><p>"when did you get here?" he asks felix</p><p>"like five minutes ago. min-hyung told me he hadn't eaten lunch yet so i brought him food" felix replies, looking at minho in that way he does, all starry-eyed and in love, before he looks at changbin "what's that?" he points at the flowers in changbin's hands.</p><p>"just some— flowers minho sent me to buy" </p><p>"you went to <em> sunshine's </em>?" felix asks, eyes going wide, "on a tuesday?!" </p><p>changbin huffs, setting the flowers on the counter next to felix, "yes. so what." </p><p>"is a miracle" </p><p>"shut up, asshole" </p><p>felix laughs, gently lifting the flowers to inspect them. "these are cute," </p><p>he's about to leave for the back room, wanting to get away from all the teasing and just sulk in the old leather couch like he always does after he makes a fool of himself in front of the florist, when felix laughs again, louder, startling both him and minho, that turns his head to look at felix with his eyebrows raised in question.</p><p>"i think this is for you, binnie-hyung" felix is still laughing as he hands changbin a piece of paper, a little daisy clip on attached to it. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> xxx-xxx-xxx  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> u took too long so im doin it. call me &lt;3  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> - jisung</em>
</p><p> </p><p>his cheeks burn, and his ears are surely red, but he can't keep the smile off of his face, even as he hears minho laugh when he reads the note over changbin's shoulder.</p>
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